Novel folding luggage and duffles and hinges therefor

ABSTRACT

Collapsible luggage uses self-locking hinges to allow horizontal support structures to collapse by folding said supporting panels onto, or nearly onto, each other. The hinges can include a first arm provided with a cylinder containing a spring and a ball, and a second arm, each arm rotatably connected to an axis; and a curved flange, coaxial with the axis and fixed with respect to the second arm, having notches at selected positions along its arcuate surface corresponding to preset stops. The flange can be placed so as to abut the ball at the end of the cylinder. Double versions of such self-locking hinges can be provided, which can be used in various collapsible surfaces in luggage and various other containers and bags.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional PatentApplication Nos. 61/575,657, filed on Aug. 24, 2011, 61/634,553, filedon Mar. 2, 2012, 61/690,234, filed on Jun. 21, 2012, 61/690,197, filedon Jun. 21, 2012, and 61/690,233, filed on Jun. 21, 2012, thedisclosures of each of which are hereby incorporated herein byreference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to container technologies, and inparticular to systems and methods for providing collapsible luggage thatcan (i) achieve significant compression of volume, and concomitant easeof portability, in a compressed state, yet can also (ii) maintainrigidity and provide structural support in an expanded state.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In the modern world, especially in areas which are substantiallypopulated, people live in relatively small apartments or even houses andhave a limit on storage space. Often, when storing luggage, a largeamount of space or an entire closet is devoted to the task. This isbecause luggage doesn't readily stack on each other and doesn't have auniform size so there are loose piles of luggage which often aresomewhat unstable and fall over. Additionally, in order to save spacewhen transporting luggage, such as from a manufacturer in the Orient toan American distributor, luggage cannot readily be compressed so sets ofluggage are attempted to be nested one within the other, biggest piecethen medium piece then smallest piece which creates a lot of work on thereceiving end to take them apart. Finally, when marketing luggage at theretail level, there is generally not enough store space to display allthe various pieces that a particular store might have so they displaytwo or three different sets and then the sales person has to go into theback room and bring out the luggage or the set of luggage when youactually purchase it.

All of these inconvenient aspects of owning, shipping and marketingluggage could be ameliorated if luggage could be compressed when notbeing used and such compressed state of the luggage could be in auniform size.

What is needed in the art is a convenient and elegant method forcompressing luggage that solves some of the problems described above.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In exemplary embodiments of the present invention, systems and methodsfor providing collapsible luggage can be facilitated by usingself-locking hinges to allow horizontal support structures or panels tocollapse by folding one portion, or by folding both portions of saidsupporting panels, onto or nearly onto, each other. Such self-lockinghinges can include a first arm and a second arm, the first arm providedwith a cylinder containing a spring and a ball; the first arm and thesecond arm each rotatably connected to an axis; and a flange co-axialwith the axis, the flange fixed with respect to the second arm, theflange having a first radius over most of its arc length, and notches orcutouts at selected positions along its surface, the selected positionscorresponding to preset stops, where the flange is placed co-axiallywith the axis so as to abut the ball at the end of the cylinder. Suchstops can be provided so as to allow the two-arms of the hinge tosubtend various angles between them, such as, for example, 90°, 160°,180°, etc. Double versions of such self-locking hinges can be provided,and such hinges can be used in various collapsible surfaces, both inconventional luggage, duffle bags, and various other totes, containersand bags.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

It is noted that the patent or application file may contain at least onedrawing executed in color. If that is the case, copies of this patent orpatent application publication with color drawing(s) will be provided bythe U.S. Patent and Trademark Office upon request and payment of thenecessary fee.

FIG. 1 illustrates each of a 90° and a 180° self-locking hinge, both ofthe double-barrel variety according to exemplary embodiments of thepresent invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates each of a 160° and a 90° self-locking hinge, both ofthe single-barrel variety according to exemplary embodiments of thepresent invention;

FIG. 3 illustrates various exemplary details of a 90° and a 180°self-locking hinge, both of the single-barrel variety according toexemplary embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 4 illustrates various additional exemplary details of the 90° and180° self-locking hinges shown in FIG. 1, both of the double-barrelvariety according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a schematic representation of an exemplary 90° self-lockinghinge such as is shown in FIG. 3, and its use in an exemplary article ofluggage according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 6 illustrates the exemplary use of an exemplary single barrel 160°hinge in an exemplary article of luggage according to exemplaryembodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 7 illustrates an exemplary use of two exemplary 160° hinges, eachof the double-barrel type, in an exemplary article of luggage, accordingto exemplary embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 8 illustrates stages in folding an exemplary article of collapsibleluggage having two exemplary hinges on both the top and the bottompanels according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 9 illustrates a variant of the exemplary article of luggage of FIG.8 where there is no hinge on the top panel, rather some flexiblematerial, and two single barrel hinges on the bottom panel;

FIG. 10 is yet a further variant of the exemplary article of foldableluggage of FIG. 8, having two single-barrel hinges on a bottom panel,and a single top hinge with a manual locking mechanism such that when itis fully opened it remains rigid;

FIG. 11 illustrates general features of an exemplary article of foldableluggage of FIG. 8; and

FIG. 12 illustrates the use of a notched foldable top panel in theexemplary articles of luggage shown in FIGS. 9-11;

FIG. 13 depict exemplary side panels and an exemplary bottom plate in anexemplary article of collapsible luggage, as temporarily attached bysnaps or Velcro type materials according to exemplary embodiments of thepresent invention;

FIG. 14 illustrates various details of an exemplary 2-wheel foldingduffle article of luggage according to exemplary embodiments of thepresent invention;

FIG. 15 illustrates various details of an alternate exemplary 2-wheelfolding duffle according to exemplary embodiments of the presentinvention;

FIG. 16 illustrates three types of exemplary 180° hinges, according toexemplary embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 17 shows the same hinges of FIG. 16 flipped over so that theirbarrels and flanges (cams) can be seen;

FIG. 18 is a close-up of the flange of the single-barrel 180° hinge ofFIG. 17;

FIG. 19 is a side view of the exemplary hinge of FIG. 18;

FIG. 20 shows the exemplary single-barrel and double-barrel 180° hingesof FIG. 16 now completely folded on themselves in the 180° position;

FIG. 21 shows the third hinge, being the manual lock hinge of FIG. 16,in the 180° position;

FIG. 22 shows each of a single-barrel and double-barrel exemplary 160°hinge according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 23 is a close-up on the flanges of the hinges of FIG. 22;

FIG. 24 shows the exemplary 160° hinges of FIGS. 22 and 23 in the 160°position;

FIG. 25 is a side view of the two exemplary hinges shown in FIG. 24;

FIG. 26 is a side view of exemplary 90° hinges according to exemplaryembodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 27 illustrates a side view along the axes of the two exemplaryhinges of FIG. 26 with the two hinges in the 180° degree position;

FIGS. 28-35 are photographs of prototypes of exemplary embodiments ofthe present invention similar to those shown schematically in FIGS.6-12;

FIGS. 36 through 52 are photographs of an exemplary embodiment of ahinged 2-wheel folding duffle according to exemplary embodiments of thepresent invention in various stages of collapse; and

FIGS. 53 through 77 are photographs of an alternate exemplary embodimentof a 2-wheel hinged folding duffle according to exemplary embodiments ofthe present invention in various stages of collapse.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In exemplary embodiments of the present invention, various hinges andmethods of providing and using such hinges are presented, which can beused to facilitate various types of collapsible luggage. Such exemplarycollapsible luggage can, for example, have two states, i.e., (i) a fullyextended state in which said luggage is used by a user to hold, forexample, clothing and objects, and (ii) a compressed, or folded, statein which the luggage has a minimum volume and can be easily andconveniently stored, especially where space is a premium. In the fullyextended state, the exemplary luggage can, for example, have as muchstructural support as conventional luggage, and thus can support otheritems on top of its top panel, as is commonly done by travelers. Variousnovel technologies are used to obtain maximal compression in thecompressed state, provide rigidity and structural support in the fullyextended state, and to allow for convenient transformation between thetwo states. Amongst them is various novel hinges as detailed andillustrated below and in the accompanying figures.

In general, the compression or collapsibility of luggage in exemplaryembodiments of the present invention can be achieved by allowing variousadjacent surfaces of the luggage to be collapsed, rotated upwards ordownwards relative to each other, or folded on themselves to reducesurface area along one or more dimensions so as to decreasesignificantly the overall volume of an article of luggage. As noted,this can be facilitated by the use of various hinges that can havemultiple configurations.

In exemplary embodiments of the present invention various types ofself-locking (and manually locked) hinges can be used to facilitateopening and closing of collapsible and compressible articles of luggage,duffle bags and like. Next described are various figures illustratingvarious exemplary self-locking hinges and illustrations of how they canbe used to facilitate opening and closing of such collapsible luggage.

A. Novel Hinges Facilitating Collapsible Luggage

It is noted that in exemplary embodiments of the present invention, aself-locking hinge can have a barrel with a spring loaded solid ballinside. The spring applies a force to the ball, and the barrel can beprovided so as to push the ball against a flange. The ball can fit intovarious cutouts or complementary concave cutouts in the substantiallysemi-circular flange that is concentric with and perpendicular to anaxis about which the movable arms of the hinge rotate, as nextdescribed.

With reference to FIG. 1 a double barrel version of each of a 90 degreehinge and a 180 degree hinge are shown. FIG. 1( a), FIG. 1( b) and FIG.1( c) show aspects of an exemplary 90 degree hinge according toexemplary embodiments of the present invention. FIG. 1( a) shows thehinge in the 90 degree configuration, and FIG. 1( b) shows the hinge ina 0 degree configuration, where the hinge is fully flat and planar. Itis noted that as a matter of nomenclature, in the following disclosurethe 0 degree position of a hinge is the term given to a hinge when it iscompletely flat such that its two arms or surfaces on either side of thecentral axis are substantially the same plane corresponding to a“normal” orientation. This is the configuration when the hinge is fullyopened and the plate, or panel, whatever article of luggage it isprovided within, for example, is in a fully extended and open position.In exemplary embodiments of the present invention, by rotating thehinges by a certain number of degrees so as to bring the two surfaces towhich the hinges are attached closer together, such as, for example, ina perpendicular relationship (90° rotation), a folded on themselvesrelationship (180° rotation), or a small angle between them, like abellows in a collapsed state (160° rotation, 150°-170° rotation), thefolding or collapsing of the luggage can be facilitated. FIG. 1( c)provides exemplary dimensions for the flange of such a 90° hinge.Similarly, FIGS. 1( c) and 1(d) illustrate the 0° degree and 180°positions, respectively, of an exemplary 180 degree hinge. It is notedfrom careful inspection of FIGS. 1( a) and 1(b), and FIGS. 1( c) and(d), that what determines the available “set” positions of an exemplaryhinge is precisely where the cutouts or concavities are placed along thearc length of the axial flange. The flange can be fixed with respect tothe arm of the hinge without the barrel, so that the barrel and itsspring loaded ball are free to rotate relative to it. As the barrel andball that is spring loaded within it move along the axial flange, theball naturally falls, under the force of the spring, into anyconcavities on the surface of the flange located at various positionsalong its arc. As can be seen in FIGS. 1( a) and 1(b) there is aconcavity into which the ball can fit into at approximately 90 degreesrotation upwards from the horizontal. In FIGS. 1( c) and 1(d) there isno such concavity until one reaches the complete other side of theflange, or a 180 degree position from the original one. FIG. 1 alsoshows exemplary dimensions of various elements of the hinges. Forexample, FIG. 1( m) shows exemplary dimensions of the flange of FIGS. 1(c) and 1(d), and FIG. 1( n) provides detail of the spring and screw thatholds it in place within the barrel. FIGS. 1( e) and 1(k) show the twoarms of the hinge as mutually connected, and FIGS. 1( f)-(j) showexemplary details and dimensions of the two arms of the hinge asdisconnected one from the other.

It is noted that, as shown in FIGS. 1( g), 1(i) and 1(j), the lowerportion of the hinge in FIG. 1 is the arm provided with the barrels.Thus, by placing the concavities at various angles of arc along theflange, various positions can be assumed by the hinge, and thus thepanel in which it is placed. As noted, these can be exploited toconveniently open and close luggage. FIG. 3 shows the hinges of FIG. 1in a single barrel configuration, with exemplary dimensions for suchsingle-barrel embodiments.

FIG. 3 thus shows, in FIGS. 3( l) and 3(m), exemplary dimensions of thesingle-barrel hinge. These figures show a top view. FIG. 3( n), similarto FIG. 1( m), shows exemplary dimensions of the 180° flange. Allexemplary dimensions are in millimeters, it is noted. FIGS. 3( g), 3(h)and 3(p) illustrate the details of the 90° hinge. In that regard, it isnoted that FIG. 3( p) is analogous to FIG. 1( l) and they haveapproximately identical dimensions, but not exactly so. As is noted inall of the figures of the flanges, the flange thickness is shown in adrawing immediately below each of FIGS. 3( n), 3(p), 1(l) and 1(m). Ineach case, the thickness of the flange is shown to be, for example,three millimeters.

FIG. 3( o), analogous to FIG. 1( n) once again shows details of thespring and the screw which holds the spring in place within the barrel.FIG. 3( o) shows identical exemplary dimensions to those shown in FIG.1( n) with some small variation. FIGS. 3( a) and 3(b), being analogousto FIGS. 1( f) and 1(g) respectively, show the top and bottom portionsof the exemplary single barrel self-locking hinges according toexemplary embodiments of the present invention. Each of FIGS. 3( a) and3(b) provide exemplary dimensions and FIG. 3( c) shows the thickness ofthe portion of FIG. 3( b), the bottom of the hinge, where there is nobarrel structure. Similarly, FIG. 3( e) is a view into a cross sectionthrough the bottom portion of the hinge shown in FIG. 3( b) and it showsthe full thickness of 10.6 millimeters of the barrel. Analogously, FIG.3( d) is a cross section through the upper portion of the hinge with thesame 3 millimeter thickness and provides dimensional details of theportions of the hinge that are connected via a central axis.

Finally, FIG. 3( f) is an end view from the bottom of the page lookingupwards into the lower portion of the hinge shown in FIG. 3( b). Itshows the exemplary dimensions of the central barrel in which the springand ball are provided, and other exemplary dimensions.

FIG. 2 is similar to FIG. 3 but shown both single barrel 90° and 160°hinges with exemplary dimensions and detail. As shown, for a given sizeof hinge, dimensions will be the same for any angle or series of anglesthat the hinge is arranged to stop at. The only difference will be howmany notches are cut in the flange and at what points along its arc.Thus, FIGS. 2( a) and 2(b) show an exemplary 160° hinge. FIG. 2( a) inthe 0° position and FIG. 2( b) in the 160° position, the upper portionhaving rotated along the flange until only 20° angle is subtendedbetween the two arms of the hinge and the ball has been pushed into thenotch at the 160° point. Similarly, FIG. 3( m) shows dimensional detailsof an exemplary flange. However, here the notch is not drawn at the 160°position, but rather at approximately at a 90° position. It is notedthat in FIGS. 2( a), 2(b) and 2(m), the portion of the flange that isfixed to the flatter or thinner arm of the hinge (the one without thebarrel) has a small notch in it, as shown at the bottom right of FIG. 2(m), as well as at the bottom left of the flange in FIGS. 2( a) and 2(b).This notch is on the upper portion of the hinge, shown in FIG. 2( k).Therefore, the flange of FIG. 2( m) is an approximate 90° hinge and theflange in FIG. 2( n) is the 160° flange as described. FIG. 2( n) alsoshows a mirror image of the flange rotated about a vertical line.

FIG. 2( o) once again shows details of the spring, a screw that holds itin place within the barrel, and the ball, and in this regard is verysimilar to FIG. 1( n) and FIG. 3( o). FIGS. 2( e) and 2(f) show the 90°hinge in the closed and open positions respectively, being the 90° and0° positions, and FIGS. 2( c) and 2(d) illustrate the underside of FIGS.2( k) and 2(g) respectively. Thus the barrels are not seen, but the viewfrom underneath the hinge is shown.

FIG. 4 shows the exemplary double barrel hinges of FIG. 1 with someadditional detail. In particular, FIG. 4( j) shows the underside ofFIGS. 4( e) and 4(f) in a matter analogous to those shown in FIGS. 2( c)and 2(d) which show the underside of FIGS. 2( k) and 2(g). The exemplarydimensions for the underside are shown in FIG. 4( j) as well. In allother respects the figures in FIG. 4 are essentially same as those shownin FIG. 1, and will not be described again.

FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary use of a 90° hinge according toexemplary embodiments of the present invention. Visible in FIG. 5( a) isa single barrel 90° hinge (bearing the trademark “Biaggi”) according topresent invention, similar to that shown in FIGS. 2( e) and 2(f). Shownin FIG. 5( b) is the same hinge in the 0 degree position. This hingeconfiguration corresponds to a piece of luggage, as shown in FIG. 5( d),in a fully extended state. Thus, the bottom panel -- shown in yellow --comprises two portions connected by the hinge in substantially the sameplane. With reference to FIG. 5( c) the barrel portion of the hinge hasbeen rotated upwards approximately 90°, and the ball then rests in theconcavity at approximately 90° on the flange as shown. This corresponds,as shown in FIG. 5( e), to the article of luggage now having themajority front of its bottom plate rotated upwards so as to beperpendicular to the rear portion of the bottom plate. It is noted thatin FIGS. 5( d) and 5(e) the luggage is shown with an extendable handle(located at the bottom right of each article),such as the familiartelescoping handle.

FIG. 6 illustrates the use of an exemplary 160 degree hinge according toexemplary embodiments of the present invention. FIG. 6( a) shows anexemplary 160 degree hinge, and FIG. 6( b) shows the same hinge in sideview. FIG. 6( c) shows the hinge with the barrel portion and the flatportion of the hinge being rotated towards each other from a flat or 0degree position. (It is noted that in FIG. 6( b) the drawing isexaggerated, and the concavity appears to be near the 90° position.Nonetheless, a 160° position is intended, as in FIG. 2( b). Applicantsreserve the right to amend FIG. 6( b) to portray this angle in properscale.)

Finally, as shown in FIG. 6( d), the hinge is at its fully closedposition, having been rotated 160°. As shown, using such a hinge theexemplary piece of luggage quite literally folds in on itself, incontrast to the way the bottom panel folded upwards in FIGS. 5( d) and5(e) using a 90° hinge. Thus, the article of luggage appears to be foldin on itself like an accordion or bellows. It is noted that there is nohinge on the top (right side) of the exemplary article of luggage asshown in FIGS. 6( e), 6(f) and 6(g). In such an exemplary embodiment,the luggage can be made of soft materials so that when the bottom hingefolds in on itself a similar operation occurs on the flexible top panel.FIG. 7 shows an exemplary double barrel 160 degree hinge according toexemplary embodiments of the present invention. As shown in FIGS. 7( e),7(f) and 7(g), an exemplary article of luggage is shown here with two160° hinges -- one in each of the top and bottom panels. As a usercompresses on the front portion of the luggage (the top in FIGS. 7), asshown in FIG. 7( c), the two hinges fold on themselves and the two armsof each hinge move towards each other. FIG. 7( g) depicts their finalclosed position, subtending an angle of 20 degrees between the arms ofeach hinge, as shown in FIG. 7( d). Thus in such a final position, thetop hinge assumes a “V” configuration, and the bottom hinge assumes aninverted “V” configuration. As can be seen, the depth of the article ofluggage has shrunk considerably due to this bellows effect. (It is notedthat in FIG. 7( b) the concave portion of the cam is not shown to scale.It is intended to be at a 160° position which would be almost all of theway towards the non-barrel, as shown in FIGS. 2( a) and 2(b). Applicantreserves the right to amend this figure to proper scale.)

The hinge arms can be made, for example, of various materials, includingmetals, plastics, thermoplastics, polycarbonates, resins, polyacetyls,etc., as may be known or useful in various deigns contexts. The flangeand axles can be made of metals such as, for example, steel.

B. Exemplary Luggage Using Hinges

FIG. 8 illustrates a first exemplary embodiment of collapsible luggageaccording to the present invention, similar to that shown in FIG. 7.FIG. 8( a) depicts a perspective front view and FIG. 8( b) a side viewof the exemplary article. As can be seen, it is slightly deeper at thebottom, and at the front portion of the bottom of the luggage are twopads or “feet,” and at the back of the bottom portion of the article aretwo wheels. Using these wheels and the extendable handle as shown inFIGS. 8( a) and 8(b), a user can tilt the article of luggage backwardsso that it rests solely on the two rear wheels and can thereby betransported through an airport, home, hallway, etc.

FIG. 8( c) is a transparent side view showing the two hinges embedded inthe top and bottom panels of the luggage, respectively, that allow it tobe collapsed. As can be seen in FIG. 8( c) there are two hinges whichare provided in each of said top and bottom panels. These hinges are160° degree hinges, explained above, which have two positions. A zerodegree position is one where the hinge is completely flat, in which thearticle of luggage has the shape as shown FIGS. 8( a) and 8(b), wherethe top and bottom panels are fully horizontal and planar. In a secondposition, the 160° hinge almost completely folds on itself such that itforms a V-shape, subtending only 20° of angular arc between its twoarms. Shown in FIG. 8( c) are the top and bottom panels of the luggage,as also shown in FIG. 7( e)-(g). These panels are structural, and can,for example, be made of honeycomb plastic or various other light weight,yet structural, materials, such as, for example, polyolefins, such aspolypropylene, for example, polycarbonates, resins, and even carbonfiber or lightweight metals, as may be appropriate.

To add additional support, it is noted, rings or cords of wire or carbonfiber can be provided around the back of the luggage, essentially in theback plane, or around the front of the luggage, such as, for example, atthe front of the luggage all around, or even in a zipper (or otherwise)attached front cover. Such rings, such as, for example, of steel, canprovide an integrated ring of support, but do not interfere at all withcollapsibility. The entire back of the luggage can be rigid as well, asthe back plate adds no depth.

By a combination of bottom plane support, such wire rings at the frontand rear edges, possibly structural bands of plastic or other material,and one or more cover support boards, as described above, significantsupport can be provided to luggage that in a collapsed state simplyfolds on itself.

It is also noted that the 160° hinge, or any other hinge disclosedherein, can, for example, be provided in either a single version ordouble version. In fact, for heavy duty applications, even triple or agreater number of integrated barrel hinges can be provided. The singleversion hinge is shown in FIG. 8( e) and a double version of the samehinge is shown in FIG. 8( d). In the single version, the hinge rotatesabout a single flange or cam and there is a spring-loaded tubularstructure with a ball at the end of it such that when the hinge is ineither its zero degree position, or when it is rotated upwards about theaxis such that it is in its 160° position, the ball, under the force ofthe spring, is pushed into a “female” cut-out or concavity in theflange. This secures the hinge in either of those two positions, andrequires a user to apply rotational force to move it out of either ofsuch positions, and is the basis of the self-locking feature. FIG. 8( f)illustrates some of the features on the inside of the article ofluggage. In particular, a bottom board which can, for example, rotatedownward to provide rigidity to the bottom surface of the luggage, andwhich can be provided with a turn-lock to lock it in place is shown. Itis noted that in exemplary embodiments of the present invention therecan be a support board on both the top and the bottom plates of anarticle of luggage, as shown, for example, in FIG. 11.

FIGS. 8( g) and 8(h) illustrate the final stages in the process offolding or collapsing the luggage. As noted, in FIG. 8( g) the 160°hinge is caused to fold on itself in a bellows-like manner, as shown inFIG. 8( c), and as also shown in FIG. 8( g). This happens to both thetop and the bottom hinges, resulting in the configuration of FIG. 8( h),where the article of luggage is totally collapsed on itself. The twoportions of each of the top and bottom panels of the luggage separatedby the hinges are now in an “upward V” and “downward oriented V”configuration and, as a result, the depth of the luggage, as shown inFIG. 8( h) is less than half of its original.

FIG. 9 illustrates a similar article of luggage to that of FIG. 8,except that there is no hinge on top, rather, only on the bottom. Inthis exemplary embodiment, the top portion can be made of a softmaterial which can, for example, easily fold and be collapsed. Thisexemplary embodiment reduces cost by not having the requirement of ahinge on top, and the trade-off for that is that the top surface issomewhat less rigid, inasmuch as it is a softer material, but it can bepadded as well, providing some rigidity, for example.

With reference to FIG. 9, FIG. 9( a) is again a perspective front view,and FIG. 9( b) a side view, of the exemplary article of luggage. FIG. 9(c) is a side transparent view showing the hinge on the bottom and thetwo rigid plates from which the bottom panel of luggage is constructed(shown in yellow). These two plates are connected by a hinge, here a 160degree hinge. FIG. 9) shows an exemplary 160° hinge in the single barrelformat. It is noted that, if desired, the hinge of FIG. 8( d), which isthe double barrel configuration, can, for example, be used as well. FIG.9( e) again illustrates the bottom portion of luggage having a rotatablebottom board which can then lock into place on the bottom surface of theluggage. FIGS. 9( f) and 9(g), in similar fashion to FIGS. 8( g) and8(h), show the folding process of the luggage so that it reaches itsfully collapsed state in FIG. 9( g), and is indicated as having a depthof less than half of its original extended depth, as depicted in FIG. 9(a).

FIG. 10 illustrates yet another version of collapsible luggage accordingto exemplary embodiments of the present invention. FIG. 10 illustrates avariation to the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 8, in that thearticle of luggage here also has two hinges (which can be either singlebarrel or double barrel, or for example, can be a mix of two hinges orone hinge, as may be desired), on top and on the bottom, and thereforethe top panel and the bottom panel are made of a more rigid material andthus able to support greater weight in their fully extended orhorizontal state. However, the interesting feature of the exemplaryembodiment of FIG. 10 is that the top hinge or hinges here have a manuallock mechanism, thus ensuring that the top plate of the luggage remainsrigid. With reference to FIG. 10, FIG. 10( a) is a perspective frontview, and FIG. 10( b) is a side view. FIG. 10( c) is a transparent sideview showing a hinge both on top and on the bottom in the fullycollapsed state, which is the 160° state of the 160° hinge. FIG. 10( d)shows the novel variation of this exemplary embodiment, where instead ofhaving a standard self-locking hinge as is shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, FIG.10( d) shows a manually locked hinge. FIG. 10( e) shows the familiarsingle cylinder self-locking 160° hinge, as shown in FIGS. 8( e) and9(d), used for the bottom panel. As noted, the novel hinges describedherein are self-locking. Therefore, as noted, when the protrusion in thespring-loaded cylinder is pushed into a corresponding or complimentarycut-out in the flange, the user hears a click. Thus, when the hinge isin its zero degree position, or fully horizontal position, theprotrusion clicks into one cut-out in the flange and when it is pushedby a user and collapsed either in the 90° position, or in the case ofthe 160° hinges described herein above, in the 160° position, or invarious other angular positions as may be desired, the user also hears aclick. Therefore, it is very intuitive for a user to know when theluggage is in the collapsed state and when the luggage is in the fullyopen state. The user does not need to do any more than push or pull onthe luggage until he hears a click.

FIG. 10( f) illustrates again interior features of the exemplarycollapsible luggage. In this case, the top hinge is visible to a userfrom the interior so that the user can manually lock it into place.Secondly, the bottom surface of the luggage has a bottom board which, ina collapsed state, sits substantially parallel to the back surface ofthe luggage, and when the luggage is opened, it can, for example, berotated downwards approximately 90° to sit flat on the bottom surface ofthe luggage and can there be locked into place by a turn-lock mechanism.

FIGS. 10( f) and 10(g) illustrate the process of folding the luggage.Thus, the top hinge(s) lock first needs to be manually moved to the openposition, and the bottom board then needs to be flattened against theback plane, so as to sit in a more or less vertical position, as shownin FIG. 10( f). As shown in FIG. 10( g), the top and bottom hinges needto be collapsed by a user from their respective zero degree positions totheir 160°, positions such as is also shown in FIG. 10( c). Once bothhinges have been collapsed, the article of luggage assumes theconfiguration shown in FIG. 10( h), which is the fully collapsed state.All that remains to do is to fold over the front panel and the luggagewill be totally collapsed, and ready to store. It is noted that in thisembodiment, although there is no top supporting board, the manuallylocked hinge can provide some rigidity and can, for example, keep thetop panels rigid in the expanded state.

Finally, FIG. 11 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of the article ofluggage of FIG. 8 where both the top and the bottom surfaces are shownwith top and bottom cover boards, respectively, and each has a turn-locktype device to secure them in place. With reference to FIG. 11, FIG. 11(a) shows a perspective front view and FIG. 11( b) a perspective rearview of the article of luggage. As noted above, the rear portion of theluggage has two wheels provided in it at each side and the front portionof the luggage has no wheels, but has “feet” or resting pads at each ofits front right and left positions. In the upright position the luggagecan rest on the wheels and the front pads or “feet.” When being moved,for example, in an airport or other context, the user can extend thehandle as shown, tilt the luggage backwards so that it is resting onlyon its rear wheels and can push or drag it as desired. FIG. 11( c)illustrates the top and bottom support boards which are the rigid planarstructures which can be rotated so as to sit flush against the backpanel of the luggage in the collapsed state, and in the fully expandedstate can be rotated again, the top board rotated upwards 90°, thebottom board rotated downwards 90°, so as each to be flush with the topand bottom panels of the luggage, respectively. In the fully expandedstate, a user can lock these boards into place by means of a turn-lockdevice, as shown, for example, in FIG. 11( c). The turn lock can bemetallic, for example, or can, for example, to decrease weight, be madeof a rigid plastic, a light metal such as aluminum, or from otherappropriate materials. FIG. 11( d) illustrates a user opening the turnlocks and rotating down the top and bottom support boards in preparationto collapse the article of luggage. This renders visible the hinges(although this is not necessary, and the hinges can, for example, becovered with cloth if desired) and a user then collapses the top hingesand the bottom hinges to reach the configuration of FIG. 11( e). It isnoted at this juncture that as regards the hinges in the exemplaryembodiment of FIG. 11, there are two hinges, just as in previousembodiments of FIGS. 8-10, and the hinge used is a 160° hinge, which canhave the two barrel configuration of FIG. 8( d) or, for example, the onebarrel configuration of FIG. 8( e). Once the hinges are in theircollapsed state, as shown in FIG. 11( f), the article of luggage can befully folded by folding over the door or front panel which is attachableto the luggage by a zipper, as shown. FIG. 11( g) thus shows the fullyfolded luggage. It is noted, with reference to FIG. 11( f), that thereis a slight error in the figure. The left wheel has not been drawn inthe correct place due to an artifact in the drawing. It should have thesame position as is shown in FIG. 11( e), as is the case for the rightwheel. In exemplary embodiments of the present invention, obviously thewheel would be in the correct place (applicants reserve the right toamend FIG. 11( f) to show the left wheel in its correct orientation andposition).

It is noted in connection with FIGS. 8-11 that the hinged bottom (andtop, if applicable) plates of the luggage can be provided within anouter structural band seen at the right of each of FIGS. 8( c), 9(c) and10(c). This band can have some depth by which it protrudes up form theback plate of the luggage, and it is such a band to which the rearwheels and telescoping handle are attached, for example. This depth canvary at the top and bottom, and be larger at the bottom, for example.This structural element is possible because the entire depth of thebottom (and top) plates collapse on each other using a 160 degree, orsimilar value, hinge, inside of such a structural band, and thestructural band determines the minimum depth in the collapsed state.Thus, as seen in FIGS. 11( b) and 11(g) there is a perimeteralstructural band that supports the wheels and telescoping handle, and thefolding bottom and top plates collapse within it, it remaining aroundthe outer rim of the luggage. Its depth and material can vary as neededfor size, strength and degree of “heavy duty” or “ruggedness” desired.FIG. 12 illustrates how, in the two hinge collapsible articles ofluggage shown in FIGS. 8-11, a foldable support panel provided in theupper surface of the luggage can be notched, for example, as shown, toease the folding of the two portions of the top when collapsed, asshown, for example, in FIGS. 10( g) and (h) and FIGS. 11( e) and (f). Itis noted that the support panel of FIG. 12 is foldable. Thus, althoughnot hinged, it can comprise two parts that are sewn next to each othersuch that the front portion can be folded relative to the rear portionand onto it.

FIG. 13 illustrates exemplary side panels and an exemplary bottom plate,as temporarily attached by snaps or Velcro type materials according tovarious embodiments of the present invention. Here the side panels, whenrotated upwards to their vertical state, can be attached to a bottomsupport board (such as that shown in FIG. 8( f)), for example usingsnaps, Velcro or the like. By connecting the bottom support board to thetwo side panels, an integrated “U” shaped structural bond is created,distributing the weight of the top of the luggage down the two sidepanels and onto the bottom support board. This provides rigidity andstructure in the expanded state of the luggage, but is all collapsiblewhen the luggage is desired to be folded.

In exemplary embodiments of the present invention, compression of volumeto less than half of the original can be effected for bags of the typeshown in FIGS. 8-11, and compression to a small fraction of the originalvolume can be achieved for collapsible duffles, as described below, ofthe types shown in FIGS. 14 and 15.

FIG. 14 illustrates an exemplary 2-wheel folding duffle bag according toexemplary embodiments of the present invention. As can be seen in FIG.14( a), a front view, the duffle bag can have a handle on top, and astandard duffle handle sewn to each side, which can connect in thecenter via a joint handle, as shown. As can be seen from the back viewof FIG. 14( b), the back of the duffle can have, for example, two wheelsprovided at the rear portion of its bottom, by which it can be tiltedand transported while leaning on the back two wheels. Also visible inFIG. 14( b) is a blade strap horizontally provided across the back nearthe top of the duffle bag, with two circular pads or “feet.” This isdone such that when the duffle bag is situated horizontally, and placedwith the back panel on a table or floor, so as to be easily filled, forexample, it can rest on the bottom two wheels as well as the two pads or“feet” provided on the black horizontal band. Also visible in this backview are handles on each of the sides by which the duffle can be carriedor lifted so as to lay in an easy horizontal position for carrying.Continuing with reference to FIG. 14( c), there is illustrated aperspective view of an exemplary folding system, and inner details ofthe back side of the duffle. As shown in FIG. 14( c) in yellow, forsupport there can be provided a honeycomb type structure which isessentially a plastic piece (or other semi-rigid, lightweight material)provided within the back side of the folding duffle to provide support.The plastic honeycomb piece can be provided in two parts, for example,connected via a hinge as shown. This can be a 160° hinge, as describedabove, so the exemplary 2-wheel folding duffle of FIG. 14 is alsoprovided with a similar hinge at the bottom, with a closing position at160 degrees, as described below.

Continuing with reference to FIG. 14( d), there are provided threeimages showing a series of steps in folding the exemplary 2-wheelfolding duffle according to exemplary embodiments of the presentinvention. Here it can be seen that the folding duffle utilizes three ofthe 160-degree hinges described above. Two in the bottom panel, and onein the back, or rear, panel. These hinges each have a 0 degree positionwhere they lay flat in a fully expanded configuration, and also have a160° position where they nearly fully fold on themselves, but remainsub-tending an arc of 20 degrees, as seen in the images of FIG. 14( d).Thus, in FIG. 14( d 1), the bottom hinges have been fully closed onthemselves changing from a flat horizontal surface to a kind of invertedV surface. This allows the exemplary folding duffle bag bottom to foldon itself—like a bellows or accordion -- such that the luggage cancollapse into a very small depth. Second, the 160-degree hinge providedmidway up the back surface of the exemplary duffle, as shown in FIG. 14(c), can also be folded, allowing the top portion of the duffle to foldover the now collapsed bottom portion into a “tea-bag” wedge-like shape,as shown in FIGS. 14( d 2) and 14(d 3). This upper hinge, providedwithin the back panel, first collapses to a 90-degree position as it isbeing closed, as shown in FIG. 14( d 2), and then it finally collapsesto its 160-degree self-locking position, shown in FIG. 14( d 3),assuming the same inverted V shape as the bottom hinge or hinges. Oncethis occurs, the back surface is fully collapsed and the entire luggageassumes a wedge-like shape, as shown, and also as shown in FIG. 14(e)(4). This is the fully collapsed state of the 2-wheel folding duffle(A) according to the exemplary embodiments of the present invention. Itis noted that one, two, or more hinges can, for example, be used toconnect support panels on a given duffle surface, the illustrated onehinge on the rear and the two on the bottom of the duffle of FIG. 14being merely exemplary. Use of a 160 degree hinge is also exemplary, andgiven size, materials, shapes and relative orientations and angles ofluggage panels, and collapsibility, various other angular stoppingpositions for a hinge may alternatively be desired. Various variationsof such hinges, both self-locking and manual locking, having variousclosing angular positions, can call be used, as may be desired tofacilitate collapsible luggage.

Thus with reference to FIG. 14( e), there are depicted five foldingsteps. With reference thereto, in a first step shown in FIG. 14( e)(1),the exemplary duffle bag is lying horizontally on its back. Its bottomsurface is visible, which also has a pair of honeycomb panels forstructure. These panels are connected by two 160° self-locking hinges,as shown. These are provided inside the duffle's bottom panel, generallycovered by material, and need not be visible to a user. As shown in FIG.14( e)(2), there is a piece of Velcro™, for example, that attachesacross the bottom of the duffle bag; this needs to be unhooked, as shownin FIGS. 14( e)(2) and (e)(3). After it is unhooked, the bottom surfacecan be collapsed and the two hinges shown in FIG. 14( e)(1) can eachassume the 160-degree inverted “V” position, as shown in FIG. 14( d).This collapses the bottom surface, thereby allowing it to fold onitself. This position of FIG. 14( e)(3) is essentially equivalent tothat of FIG. 14( d 1). Next, in FIG. 14( e)(4), which is essentiallyequivalent to FIG. 14( d 3), the hinge of the back panel has been fullyclosed to its 160-degree position and the, for example, Velcro™ sash onthe bottom (which was used to hold the bottom panel together) can nowattach to a corresponding Velcro™ (or other attachment device) receptorpiece provided at the top of the back side of the duffle, as shown inFIG. 14( b). This allows the Velcro which had been attached across thebottom surface to now connect (i) the rear portion of the bottom panelof the duffle to (ii) the top portion of the now folded over backsurface of the folding duffle, which, as folded, is now at the bottom ofthe front of the folded over wedge shape, as shown, thus holding theduffle securely in the wedge shape shown in FIGS. 14( e)(4). Once it isin such a wedge shape, it can be easily slid into a carrying case asshown in FIG. 14( e)(5), thus occupying a small fraction of its originalsize.

Next described is an alternate exemplary embodiment of a 2-wheel foldingduffle according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention. Withreference to FIG. 15, this duffle, known as 2-wheel folding duffle (B),has a pair of 90-degree hinges provided in its bottom surface, allowingthe bottom surface to fold upwards as described above, with reference toFIG. 5. This exemplary duffle does not have any hinge on its backsideinasmuch as there is no rigid panel or set of panels to connect via thehinge. As shown, most of the duffle is made of soft material. As aresult, while less heavy, and less costly to manufacture, it has lessstructure in its rear panel relative to the exemplary duffle of FIG. 14,in particular it is missing the supporting panels as shown in FIG. 14(c). Thus, FIGS. 14 and 15 provide exemplary options for a line ofcollapsible luggage, with variations as to price, weight and structuralrigidity.

With reference to FIG. 15, FIG. 15( a) shows the front view of theexemplary duffle and FIG. 15( b) shows the rear view of the exemplaryduffle. With reference to FIG. 15( c), there is shown in profile theexemplary duffle as fully collapsed. Thus, the front portion of thebottom surface can be rotated upwards about the common axis of the 90°hinges 1520 and, as a result, the larger portion (depthwise) of thebottom surface is now in a vertical plane, leaving only the rear portionof the bottom surface as shown. Thus the depth of the piece reduces toessentially that of the smaller rear portion, a fraction of itsoriginal. Simultaneously with the front portion of the bottom surfacerotating upwards, the entire bag, which is, as noted, here made of softmaterial, except for the bottom panel and a small lower portion of theback panel, can be collapsed, thus assuming the configuration as shownin FIG. 15( c). The only support structures are the honeycomb 1510 atthe bottom and at the back, similar to those shown in FIG. 14( c), withthe proviso that on the back side such supporting panel only extendsupwards a small height, such as, for example, from the bottom wheels to10-40 percent of the way up along the rear panel, or preferably to 20-30percent of the rear panel height.

Such honeycomb structures can be made of polyolefins, such aspolypropylene, for example, polycarbonates, resins, and even carbonfiber or lightweight metals, as may be appropriate.

FIGS. 15( d) illustrate five similar folding steps of the 2-wheelfolding duffle of FIG. 15 as were shown for that of FIG. 14. Therefore,beginning with FIG. 15( e)(1) which is the “X-ray” or transparent view,generally not visible to a user, the bottom of the duffle has two 90°hinges 1520 connecting two honeycomb support panels 1510 which comprisethe bottom surface of the duffle. In FIG. 15( e)(2) the bottom surfacehas been rotated upwards as described, and in FIG. 15( e)(3) the top ofthe bag, now collapsed, is itself rotated downwards. Because it is madeof soft material, there is no need for a hinge, and it simply folds onitself as seen in FIGS. 15( e)(2)-(3). In addition, there can be, forexample, a Velcro or other attachment receptor provided on the bottomsurface of the duffle that can mate with corresponding piece of Velcroor other attachment mechanism provided on the top of the back side ofthe duffle, as shown in FIG. 15( b) (vertical strip above the horizontalband) in the same manner as described above in connection with FIG. 14.With the back side of the duffle now fully folded over and now in thefront, the Velcro, for example, strip on the back can be mated with theVelcro, for example, receptacle on the front portion of the bottomsurface resulting in the configuration shown in 15(e)(4). Again, asshown in FIG. 15( e)(5), the collapsed bag, now a fraction of itsoriginal size, can be easily fit into, and stored or carried in, a handycarrying case.

C. Exemplary Hinges Illustrated In Detail

FIGS. 16 through 27, next described, are photographs of exemplaryprototypes of various hinges described above according to exemplaryembodiments of the present invention. FIG. 16 depicts three types of180° hinges, showing the bottom side of each hinge, which is the portionthat would be attached to an exemplary article of luggage. These hingesfully fold over on themselves, as shown in FIGS. 1( d), 3(j) and 4(b).This underside would be facing towards the interior of a piece luggagein most exemplary embodiments. Visible in FIG. 16 are, from left toright, a single barrel version, a double barrel version, and a singlemanually locked hinge. A manually locked hinge such as shown in FIG. 16can be sometimes used to provide a more definite rigidity to a hinge inthe 0 degree position (i.e., when the luggage is fully expanded).Further, as shown in FIGS. 10( d) and 10(f), a manually locked hinge canbe provided in a top plate of an exemplary article of luggage, which canremain exposed to a user, as shown in FIG. 10( f), either under a clothcover, or simply uncovered, with or without an interior top cover board,as shown, for example, in FIG. 11( c).

FIG. 17 illustrates the exemplary hinges of FIG. 16 except that each hasbeen flipped over. Visible are the barrels and their flanges, which areconcentric with the axis of the hinges about which the hinge armsrotate. FIG. 18 is a close up of the flange of an exemplary one barrelhinge as shown in the left side of FIG. 16. This is the view lookinginto the barrel side of the hinge from the non-barrel side, and one canreadily see the 180 degree position concavity into which the springloaded ball will be pushed when the hinge is at the 180 degree position.Similarly, FIG. 19 is a side view of the same hinge in the sameorientation as shown in FIG. 18. FIG. 20 shows the two self-lockinghinges of FIG. 16 in the 180 degree position, where the hinges have nowfully folded on themselves. FIG. 21 shows the third hinge depicted inFIG. 16, the manual locking hinge, in the 180°, or totally folded uponitself, position, similar to that of FIG. 10( c) and FIG. 10( h).

FIGS. 22 through 25, next described, illustrate various exemplary 160°hinges according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention. FIG.22 shows the upper side (the side of the hinges that is not attached tothe two portions of the luggage panel, and thus the side that freelyfolds in upon itself as shown in FIGS. 10( f) and 10(g)) of the hinges.FIG. 23 shows a perspective side view of the same hinges shown in FIG.22, except that the view is from the other side and thus the doublebarrel hinge is on the left and the single barrel hinge is on the right.Visible in FIG. 23 are the exemplary notches in each flange at theprecise 160 degree position -- almost all of the way down towards thenon-barrel arm of the hinge. FIG. 24 shows the exemplary hinges of FIGS.22 and 23 once they have been moved to the 160 degree position, and FIG.25 is a side perspective view of the same hinges as shown in FIG. 24 inthe same configuration.

FIG. 26 shows two exemplary 90 degree hinges as provided on a horizontalsurface simulating a configuration they could, for example, have whenfastened to a plate in a piece of luggage. Each of a single barrel and adouble barrel version are shown, and the barrel side of the hinge islaid horizontally. Finally, FIG. 27 is a close up view of the doublebarrel 90 degree self-locking hinge in the foreground, and a singlebarrel 90° self-locking hinge in the background. The concavity in eachflange is seen at the 90° position. Similar hinges as these can beprovided with various angles, such as, for example, for a 90 degree typefunctionality, anywhere from 60-120 degrees, and for a 160 degree typefunctionality, from 150-180 degrees, for example. Hinges with multiplestops, and thus multiple notches can similarly be provided, as may bedesired or useful.

Hinges can be single barrel or multiple barrel, and in one article ofluggage various types can be used in combination. One or more hinges canfurther be manual locking, as described above.

D. Exemplary Articles of Luggage Illustrated In Detail

1. Rectangular Luggage That Folds On Itself

Next described are FIGS. 28-35, which are photographs of an exemplaryarticle of luggage that is foldable in the manner illustrated above.Such exemplary article is similar to that of the luggage of FIGS. 9-10.With reference to FIG. 28, the exemplary article of luggage is shown inthe compressed state as provided in a carrying case. FIG. 29 shows thecase being pulled down to expose the collapsed luggage inside, and FIG.30 shows the collapsed luggage once the case has been fully removed.FIG. 31 shows the exemplary article of luggage with the front coverswung open. It is noted that in the collapsed state the front cover willnot be zipped to the remainder of the luggage, but will just sit over itin a folded state.

Continuing with reference to FIG. 31, there can be seen the foldingbottom cover board which provides structure to the bottom of the articleof luggage in its collapsed state, and here it is sitting essentiallyflush against the back panel of the luggage in its folded configuration.The top and bottom panels of the luggage are seen as being folded in onthemselves, as shown above in FIG. 10( c). FIG. 32 shows a close-up ofthe bottom folding board and the interior of the luggage. As shown, thebottom cover is attached to the bottom panel by a turn-lock, forexample. FIG. 32 begins illustrating the process of expanding theluggage to its full shape, where the bottom panel has been expanded to aflat shape, opening the hinge to the 0 degree position. FIG. 33illustrates this configuration in a side perspective view. FIG. 34 showsthe exemplary article of luggage in side view as fully expanded. It isnoted that although the bottom of the luggage has been fully expanded,in FIG. 34 the top hinge has not been locked into its zero degree orflat position, that configuration is now shown in FIG. 35, which alsoshown the bottom cover board having been locked into place.

Thus, FIG. 35 shows the bottom board having been rotated downwards, andnow sitting essentially flush (in a horizontal plane) with the bottompanel of the luggage, and having been affixed by the turn lock device.It is noted that the board can have a handle attached to it to make iteasy for a user to rotate it upwards and downwards, when collapsing andde-collapsing the piece. This is shown as a red stitched-on cloth handleat the front edge of the board in FIG. 35

It is also noted that instead of a hinge at the top of the article, suchas is shown in FIG. 10( c), an exemplary bag can just have soft materialat the top of the article and no hinge. The soft material can be padded,for example, to provide some structure, as shown, for example, in FIG.12. The tradeoff is rigidity of the top panel versus added expense andweight of providing rigid plates and one or more hinges. By providinghinges, the top panel can be an actual panel composed of two portionswhich are connected via one or two hinges, and each hinge can be eithersingle-barrel or double-barrel, for example, depending upon size, load,material, “ruggedness”, etc.

2. First Exemplary Collapsible Duffle

FIGS. 36-52, next described, are illustrative photographs of anexemplary embodiment of a 2-wheel folding duffle with an essentiallysoft back, with some support at its bottom rear panel, similar to thatof FIG. 15. With reference to FIG. 36, the foldable duffle is shown in aconvenient carrying case, only possible because the actual duffle can besignificantly collapsed, as described above. Duffles can be compressedto a small fraction of their fully expanded size, using the techniquesdescribed herein. FIG. 37 shows the exemplary carrying bag beingremoved, and the wedge shaped duffle in a fully collapsed state. FIG. 38depicts a rear view of the exemplary duffle standing on its bottompanel. The back panel visible in FIG. 38 is precisely the portion of therear panel with the added structure, as shown in FIG. 15( c), and asindicated by the yellow honeycomb.

FIG. 39 is a front view of FIG. 38. In FIGS. 40-48 the exemplary duffleis shown in various stages of unfolding, and interior views are alsoprovided in FIGS. 42-43 and 45-47, the latter showing an interior folddown bottom cover board which is used in the expanded state to providesupport for the bottom plate, in the same manner as shown for theexemplary article of FIGS. 8-11 as well as that of FIG. 13. Thus, inaddition to the honey comb panels on the bottom of the bag, whenexpanded, a user can pull down the fold over cover panel and lock it,for additional strength.

Finally, FIGS. 49-52 show the duffle once again being compressed, andassuming the familiar wedge-like shape as shown in FIG. 50, and afterattaching the Velcro type material to connect the bottom of the dufflewith the top of the folded over rear portion, as seen therein, thefamiliar final shape is achieved as shown in FIGS. 51-52, withsignificant compression of volume.

3. Second Exemplary Collapsible Duffle

FIGS. 53-77 are photographs of an alternate exemplary embodiment of atwo-wheel folding duffle according to exemplary embodiments of thepresent invention. This example prototype is similar to that shown inFIG. 14. Thus, the exemplary prototype shown in FIGS. 53-77 uses a pairof 160° hinges on a bottom plate and single 160° hinge on its backplate, thus allowing for lengthwise structural support with fullcollapsibility.

FIG. 53 shows the exemplary duffle in a totally collapsed state removedfrom its carrying case. What is shown is in FIG. 53 is a view of thefront of the fully collapsed duffle, essentially identical to the viewshown in FIGS. 14( e) and 14(f). FIG. 54 is a rearview of the fullycollapsed duffle of FIG. 53 and thus the two rear wheels can be seen atthe bottom of the picture. FIG. 55 once again shows the fully collapsedduffle completely removed from its carrying case and once againessentially the same as the view shown in FIG. 14( e)(4). FIG. 56 is aside view of the view presented in FIG. 55, more precisely from lookingfrom the right side of the figure in FIG. 55 in towards a side of thefully collapsed duffle. FIG. 57 is a side perspective view from theother side, or left side of the figure, in FIG. 55 allowing the viewingof the left side of the duffle.

In the orientation shown in FIG. 58, the duffle has begun to bedecompressed, or expanded. The view in FIG. 58 is thus analogous to thatof FIG. 14( e)(3) where the Velcro attachment piece has been released,allowing the duffle to be totally unfolded into a flat plane orconfiguration, as shown. At this point, however, none of the hinges havebeen locked into place and the bottom panel has not yet been expanded.FIG. 59 shown very similar view to that of FIG. 58.

FIG. 60 shows the top cover which is completely unzipped due to itshaving been in a collapsed state, and now having been folded over to theright side of the duffle in the figure, exposing the interior of theexemplary duffle. Visible in FIG. 60 is the bottom cover board in itsfolded or compressed state, therefore flush against the back panel ofthe duffle and obviously not connected by the turn key mechanism. FIG.61 is a close up of the right hand portion of FIG. 60 showing the bottomcover plate, its exemplary red cloth handle and the turnkey lockingmechanism in detail.

FIG. 62 shows a configuration where the bottom cover board has now beenrotated upwards to now sit vertically, and has been locked into place,thus provided structure for the bottom panel. The bottom panel has,before the board was rotated upwards, been locked into place such thatthe two 160° hinges have assumed their 0 degree or planar position.

FIG. 63 once again shows the bag being in the process of being placed ina vertical configuration where the bottom plate, now rigid, has beenrotated so that the bag sits on the two feet and on the rear backwheels, more or less a vertical rotation of the view shown in FIG. 14(e)(2) with the top part of the bag folded over. Next, FIG. 64 shows theduffle fully extended in its vertical dimension with the back panel nowlocked into place in its 0 degree planar configuration, and thus the160° hinge has been locked by the user, making the honeycomb panel shownin FIG. 14( c) rigid from top to bottom along the entire height of theback panel of the exemplary duffle. FIG. 65 is a view similar to FIG. 64where the bag has been pulled slightly more to full size, as is also thecase in FIG. 66.

FIG. 67 is a view similar to that of FIG. 63 and shows once again theback panel having pressure being applied to it by a user so that itbegins to be compressed (i.e., the 160 degree hinge made nonplanar, andstarting to assume the 90 degree position as shown in FIG. 14( d 2), andon its way to being once again being folded into its compressed state.This process is continued in FIG. 68, and in FIG. 69 the bottom coverboard has been once again rotated upwards to be flush with the backpanel.

In FIG. 70 the bottom panel is being pushed downward so as to fold uponitself and thus the two hinges (shown for example in FIG. 14( e)(1)) nowassume their 160° position which is finally locked into place in theview shown in FIGS. 71-72. Now the bottom panel has completely lost itsplanar rigidity and the rest of the exemplary duffle can be folded backinto a compressed state.

FIG. 73 shows the beginning of this process, and FIG. 74 shows the topportion now being folded over and the handles needing to be stuffedinside. Finally, in FIG. 75 when that has been accomplished the bottomVelcro, for example, attachment now attaches to what formally was thetop of the back panel of the duffle, thus assuming the familiar wedgeseen here in FIG. 76 in an analogous view to that of FIG. 14( e)(4),which is simply a rotation of the view shown in FIG. 75. Finally, FIG.77 shows once again a rear view of the fully collapsed wedge of FIG. 76,again showing a very significant volume compression.

The description, figures and photographs are intended by way of exampleonly and are not intended to limit the present invention in any wayexcept as set forth in the following claims. It is particularly notedthat the persons skilled in the art can readily combine the varioustechnical aspects of the various elements of the various exemplaryembodiments that have been exemplarily described above in numerous otherways, all of which are considered to be within the scope of theinvention. For example, any described hinge mechanism can be paired withany conceivable style or material of bottom plate, and any affixationdevice or system described in connection with one exemplary embodimentis understood to be compatible with any other, etc.

What is claimed is:
 1. A self-locking hinge, comprising: a first arm anda second arm, the first arm provided with a barrel containing a springand a ball; the first arm and the second arm each rotatably connected toan axis; and a flange co-axial with the axis, the flange fixed withrespect to the second arm, the flange having a first radius over most ofits arc length, and notches at selected positions along its surface, theselected positions corresponding to preset stops, wherein the flange isplaced along the axis so as to abut the ball at the end of the barrel.2. The hinge of claim 1, wherein the selected positions along thesurface of the flange correspond to various angles being subtendedbetween the first arm and the second arm.
 3. The hinge of claim 2,wherein said angles include one or more of 0°, 90°, 130°, 150°, 160° and180°.
 4. The hinge of claim 1, further comprising one or more additionalflanges and cylinders with spring and ball provided substantiallyparallel to the first, so as to provide a multiple barrel integratedhinge.
 5. The hinge of claim 4, wherein said multiple barrels are one of2 and
 3. 6. A method of providing collapsible luggage, comprising:providing a rigid rear panel; providing a rigid bottom plate comprisingtwo portions, one capable of being rotated relative to the other along afirst axis so as to allow the two portions to be in either a planarconfiguration or to subtend a defined angle between them; providing aflexible top surface, front surface, right side surface and left sidesurface; and providing a bottom support flap that can be rotated along asecond axis substantially parallel to said first axis, allowing saidsupport flap to either lie on top of said rigid bottom plate in itsplanar configuration or folded substantially into a plane adjacent tothe rear panel, wherein the two portions of the rigid bottom plate canbe connected in each of its planar and angled configurations by one ormore self-locking hinges.
 7. The method of claim 6, wherein the one ormore self-locking hinges comprise those as claimed in any of claims 1-2and 4-5.
 8. The method of claim 6, wherein the one or more self-lockinghinges subtend a 90 degree angle between them in a collapsedconfiguration, and a 0 degree angle between them in an openconfiguration.
 9. The method of claim 6, wherein the one or moreself-locking hinges subtend a 20 degree angle between them in acollapsed configuration, and a 0 degree angle between them in an openconfiguration.
 10. A method of providing collapsible luggage,comprising: providing a rigid rear panel; providing a rigid bottom platecomprising two portions, one capable of being rotated relative to theother along a first axis so as to allow the two portions to be in eithera planar configuration or to subtend a defined angle between them;providing a rigid top plate comprising two portions, one capable ofbeing rotated relative to the other along a first axis so as to allowthe two portions to be in either a planar configuration or to subtend adefined angle between them; providing a flexible front surface, rightside surface and left side surface; and wherein the two portions of therigid bottom plate, and the two portions of the rigid top plate can beconnected in each of their planar and angled configurations by one ormore self-locking hinges.
 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the one ormore self-locking hinges comprise those as claimed in any of claims 1-2and 4-5.
 12. The method of claim 10, wherein the one or moreself-locking hinges each subtend an angle of between 10-30 degreesbetween them in a collapsed configuration, and a 180 degree anglebetween them in an open configuration.
 13. The method of claims 10-12,further comprising a top support flap, a bottom support flap or both,wherein said support flaps can be rotated along a second axissubstantially parallel to said first axis, allowing said support flapsto either lie on top of said rigid bottom plate or said rigid top platein their respective planar configurations or be folded substantiallyinto a plane adjacent to the rear panel.
 14. The method any of claims10-12, wherein the self-locking hinges are each one of single barrel anddouble barrel.
 15. The method of any of claims 6-9, wherein theself-locking hinges are each one of single barrel and double barrel. 16.A collapsible two-wheel duffle, comprising: a bottom panel comprisingtwo supporting elements connected by a hinge; top, front and side panelsmade of soft material; and a rear panel comprising two supportingelements connected by a hinge, wherein, in operation, the bottom panelhinge and the back panel hinge can each be collapsed to a closed state,causing the bottom and rear panels to each fold on themselves, andcausing the duffle to assume a compressed wedge-like shape.
 17. Theduffle of claim 16, wherein the bottom panel hinge and the back panelhinge comprise one or more self-locking hinges as claimed in claim 1.18. The duffle of claim 17, wherein said self-locking hinges are 160degree hinges.
 19. The duffle of claim 17, wherein said self-lockinghinges are each one of single barrel and double barrel.
 20. Acollapsible two-wheel duffle bag, comprising: a bottom panel comprisingtwo supporting elements connected by at least one hinge; top, front andside panels made of soft material; and a rear panel made of softmaterial with a supporting panel provided at a bottom portion of saidrear panel, wherein, in operation, the at least one hinge can becollapsed to a closed state, causing the two portions of the bottompanels to be substantially perpendicular, and the remainder of theduffle to fold on itself twice, such that the duffle assumes acompressed wedge-like shape.
 21. The duffle of claim 20, wherein the atleast one hinge is a self-locking hinge as claimed in claims 1-2 and4-5.
 22. The duffle of claim 20, wherein in said compressed wedge-likeshape a top portion of the rear panel is attached to the rear portion ofthe bottom panel via an attachment mechanism .
 23. The duffle of claim22, wherein said attachment mechanism is a Velcro type attachment. 24.The hinge of any of claims 1-5, wherein when the hinge reaches one ofsaid selected positions an auditory signal is made to a user, androtational force is required to move the hinge out of said position. 25.The method of any of claims 10-12, further comprising one or more of (i)a perimeteral band provided around the rear portion of the luggage,within which said rigid top and bottom plates compress, and (ii) aperimeteral wire cord provided at the rear or front perimeter.
 26. Anarticle of collapsible luggage, comprising: a rigid rear panel; a rigidbottom plate comprising two portions, one capable of being rotatedrelative to the other along a first axis so as to allow the two portionsto be in either a planar configuration or to subtend a defined anglebetween them; a rigid top plate comprising two portions, one capable ofbeing rotated relative to the other along a first axis so as to allowthe two portions to be in either a planar configuration or to subtend adefined angle between them; a flexible front surface, right side surfaceand left side surface; wherein the two portions of the rigid bottomplate, and the two portions of the rigid top plate are connected in eachof their planar and angled configurations by one or more self-lockinghinges.
 27. The article of claim 26, wherein the one or moreself-locking hinges comprise those as claimed in any of claims 1-2 and4-5.
 28. The article of claim 26, wherein the one or more self-lockinghinges each subtend an angle between 10 and 30 degrees between them in acollapsed configuration, and a 180 degree angle between them in an openconfiguration.
 29. The article of claim 26, wherein the one or moreself-locking hinges each subtend an angle of 20 degrees between them ina collapsed configuration, and a 180 degree angle between them in anopen configuration.
 30. The article of any of claims 26-28, furthercomprising a top support flap, a bottom support flap, or both, whereinsaid support flaps can be rotated along a second axis substantiallyparallel to said first axis, allowing said support flaps to either lieon top of said rigid bottom plate or said rigid top plate in theirrespective planar configurations or be folded substantially into a planeadjacent to the rear panel.